Monday, August 9, 2010

So, I stayed with friends during my excursion to Portland and, I must say, each time I visit the Rose City, the more I like it!

I ventured further south to visit a few more nurseries and, boy, what a treat it was. It was definitely the farthest south I've even driven and given just a few more hours, I could have made it down to California if I really wanted to!

First stop was Springfield, and no, I didn't seek out "The Simpsons", but instead hit up Gossler Farms and met with Roger Gossler who gave me a tour of their beautiful grounds and wonder selection of hardy, woody species.

I was welcomed with a free car wash/shower as I pulled into their driveway while their sprinklers were on!

Gossler Farms is known for their incredible selection of Magnolias and to my surprise, I was kind of shocked to see a butchered specimen such as this, but according to Roger, a few deciduous species don't bloom as well once they get to a certain age, but by pruning them quite severely such as this, they encourage more blossoms and the proliferation of excessive water sprouts provides cutting/scion wood for propagation.

What didn't seem butchered at all was a most stunning specimen of Magnolia virginiana I've ever seen! This is a selection called 'Henry Hicks' that Roger feels should be more readily available to gardeners in urban areas where it doesn't get too big and provides these elegant blossoms that are mouth-droolingly fragrant, especially at dusk.

In their nursery hoop houses, there are treasure to be found including a rare variegated dove tree (Davidia involucrata), a ridiculous number of Chinese witch hazels, wallet damaging dogwoods and even a selection of Jack-in-the-Pulpit with a most outrageous flower larger than my fist!

The HUGE spathe of Arisaema franchetianum 'Hugo'!

It was such an honor to finally meet and introduce myself to Roger Gossler.

He's such a well-respected figure in the plant world with a humble operation offering gardeners something new, different, and exquisitely special. While I should have gone home with the Magnolia (where we had our picture taken together), I settled for a plant I've been REALLY needing and that was Embothrium coccineum, the Chilean Fire Bush! I'll be back for that Magnolia in the future!

Just a few minutes west of Springfield was Eugene and a nursery I've been longing to visit for a very long time.

Ernie and Marietta O'byrne began Northwest Garden Nursery specializing in rare, woodland perennials and alpines. They were THE SOURCE for the diverse selections and coveted cultivars by collectors until they decided to shift their focus and devote the majority of their time to breeding the wonderful strain of Hellebores known as the Winter Jewels®.

Their plants can be found for sale in late January into March at a handful of specialty nurseries around Oregon and Washington, but their exquisite double-flowered strains are produced through Terra Nova Nurseries who grow on their seedlings into jumbo plugs and then sell them to growers who finish them off for retail sales.

Ernie took me through the production process:

Seeds are freshly sown. Once they germinate and fill the flat with about 500 seedlings, the double strain of Winter Jewels are sent to Canby, OR at Terra Nova to be grown on as plugs.

Ernie takes me through first year seedlings...

...which can be quite variable in size because I learned that the common lenten rose (Helleborus x hybridus) is actually composed of 16 or so different species; therefore, some are far more developed than others this first year.

Later on, they get bumped up into gallon to two gallon sizes for sale and up to five gallon if they are to be saved as stock plants to continue their breeding efforts come winter to, basically, begin the process all over again!

What was most remarkable about my visit with Ernie and Marietta wasn't just the Hellebores, but because of their remarkable display gardens. Strolling through their perennial beds and borders, woodland paths and series of garden rooms really made me hold my breath to witness the love and passion that went into creating their landscape.

The attention to details, colors, and the diversity of wonderful garden plants; some common, some not, some exclusive to Ernie and Marietta, it was such a lavish blend of plant crazy and sheer serenity that I deeply admired.

And as people, they are so warm, generous, and the most gracious of hosts who welcomed me into their home and made me take a carton of home-raised eggs as a parting gift! I look forward to my next visit. Perhaps in February or March to see those wonderful hellebores in full glorious bloom!

After the O'byrnes, I drove back to Portland and soaked in the scenery of vast meadows and farmland and the setting sun illuminating my final glimpses of the countryside.

I stayed in Portland one more night and headed back to Washington the next day with my ritual visit to Cistus Nursery and then, I took a little detour heading back to Washington that I've been meaning to do for quite some time. It was a short, but much needed time to relax, unwind and reflect.

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Ok, FINALLY I'm getting around to sharing my experiences down in Oregon for the Perennial Plant Association (PPA) a few weeks back.

I figured a photo montage would be easier to follow rather than my rambles, but I do need to set the scene and provide a little intro.

So, I was encouraged to join PPA last fall after a bus ride chat with the fabulous Debra Prinzing. She said that I had to meet Steven Still and following my introductory letter to him, the PPA Executive Director, I was asked if I was interested in speaking at this year's symposium in Portland. Being fairly close to home and proposing a topic I've always wanted to speak on, but never have (perennials for tough spots/dry shade), I gladly accepted the invitation and began putting my talk together. It was a fairly large topic, but given my 45 min time slot, I had to find a focus and, hopefully, present something new and/or interesting.

New Introductions are always the hot topic at these annual conferences and the "New Plant Forum" was somewhat disappointing at best with WAY TOO MANY ECHINACEA AND HEUCHERA. I had many discussions with colleagues and growers about it and we seriously need to ask ourselves, "How many is too many?" It's so competitive out there that even the slightest "improvement" on a new variety is marketed to the fullest extent. Of the many fancy schmansy coneflowers out there, I actually kind of like this horrendous abomination of nature from the "Cone-fections" series called 'Hot Papaya'.

So the event was held at the Doubletree Hotel and five minutes upon arrival and registration, I ran into the lovely Sally Isaiou from T & L Nursery who I joined for dinner that night. Seeing a familiar face early on totally put me at ease and heightened my excitement for the event! Back at the hotel the hallways where the sessions took place were flanked with some of the most exquisite container designs.

Seeing this caliber of work was inspiring and also reassuring as I knew that I was capable of such quality!

NURSERY TOURS

One of the highlights of the entire symposium was the fabulous tour of nurseries. Sadly, I was stuck in the nose-bleed section of the charter bus right next to the lavatory that made me very nauseous, but by luck of a random coincidence, I was seated next to the wonderful Alice Doyle of Log House Plants who engaged me in a nice chat about garden travels and mentors.

Our first stop was in Scappoose at Joy Creek Nursery.

The perennial beds were just packed with outstanding garden plants.

Couldn't help but noticed that exquisite purple/blue. According to Alex LaVilla from Swanson's Nursery (actually pictured in the center of the photo above..hehe), this was Phlox paniculata 'Nicky'. Absolutely captivated by the color, Hans Hansen, a new colleague and plant breeder/discoverer extraordinaire who currently works for Walter's Gardens, recommended a similar, but improved cultivar called 'Blue Paradise' which now resides in a new perennial mixed border here at Landwave!!

Roses and hydrangeas were in full boisterous bloom...

...along with an eye-catching display of Rudbeckia that were to die for!

Next up was Cistus Nursery where my buddies Sean Hogan, Nathan Limprecht and awesome nursery staff welcomed and impressed us with the lush display plantings and remarkable diversity of plants for sale. I really wished that people made more purchases at this remarkable treasure trove in Sauvie Island, but I guess people were hesitant to carry around plants.

This was an eye-catchingly dramatic dahlia I have to seek out next spring called 'David Howard'.

And an appropriate companion to "Mr. Howard" is a form of the "Banana Canna" I've never heard before, but just HAD TO HAVE: Canna musafolia 'Rubra'. CRAZIE!!!! A RED LEAFED BANANA CANNA LILY! WOOT WOOT!!

I really need a separate blog post about my purchases at Cistus. I got so many wonderful things, it was friggin' dope!

A kind and concerned nearby passenger attempted to "freshen up" the lavatory with a little bouquet of Star Jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) that she picked from Cistus. It sort of worked, but overall... =(

Cistus was followed by Blooming Nursery; which, in my personal opinion, produces some of the fullest, most robust nursery stock for retail garden centers.

Check out their operations:

State of the art facilities complete with solar panels.

Row after row of beautifully grown nursery stock

And ridiculously well organized.

Their plants can be found at local retail nurseries with their characteristic maroon nursery cans.

After Blooming Nursery, Alice met up with some girlfriends of hers who drove separately and graciously invited me to join them so we could escape the foetid and unbearable odor from the back of the bus.

Next stop, the infamous Monrovia Nursery in Dayton, OR.

This place was HUGE!!!!! Need any dwarf purple-leafed Barberry (Berberis thunbergii)?

The courtyard and office complex was remarkable. You can tell this is a multi-million dollar venture with these facilities and vast display gardens.

I had lunch with a fellow Filipino colleague whom I met last fall at the Garden Writer's Association conference in North Carolina.

Grace Romero, who took this photo of me with Hydrangea paniculata 'Unique' joined me for lunch and we chatted about new plant introductions and our insatiable craving for home-cooked Filipino food at the time.

Having a little too much fun...yikes.

Following Monrovia was a most pleasant visit to Bauman Farms. OMFG, we had such a blast here!!!!

Petunia Arbor with a view of the farm.

Petunia "Trees"!!!

Yeah, we were basically in Petunia land with outrageously colored baskets for DIRT CHEAPO!The real highlight and treat however...

and I should mention a most delectable Marionberry Lemonade Smoothie!

On the itinerary was my second visit to the famed Terra Nova Nurseries.

Specializing in exquisite and absolutely mouth-watering selections of perennials with way too many Heucheras and Echinaceas, it was such a treat to see their display beds.

I was caught taking this photo and plant breeder Chuck Pavlich offered me a sample!!This is Roscoea 'Cinnamon Sticks'. This is a genus I'm not really familiar with, but they have another introduction called 'Spice Island' with stunning bronze foliage and lavender flowers!

In the same color range and, once again, backlit by the sun, this Calla lily was to DIE FOR!!!

The day was capped off by a most pleasant evening gathering and dinner at Washington Park where we inhabited the amphitheater with plant geeks and nursery stock for sale from various specialty growers!!

It really is the Rose City!! WOW!

So, I reconnected with Alice as she had her staff set up shop with Log House Plants' wonderful selection of unusual annuals...

...and some things I just didn't quite get. LOL. A "Stick in the Mud"!! SERIOUSLY?

The best part about attending these symposiums is the potential for networking. I ran into so many familiar faces and friends along with some new colleagues I hope to stay in touch with and perhaps collaborate with in the future.

The tour definitely was a nice distraction from my talk the following morning. I broke my former professor's rule about making changes to a presentation the night before, but I was so caught up on making sure I represented each bullet-point and photograph in the best possible way. I pulled it together and come sunrise, I was raring to go:

So, how did it go? Well, I stressed about making sure I represented plant material that the majority of the audience would be able to acquire and grow successfully, since my topic was on perennials for tough places (with a focus on dry shade). The feedback and reaction from people afterward was quite positive and encouraging, but I later learned that a significant and important figure in all of horticulture was disappointed in my presentation. I don't know why this person didn't just approach me directly to give me some constructive feedback; I'm trying not to let it get to me, but I'm just trying to find the courage to email this person and see why they were displeased with the talk. I know I can't please everybody, but if it was a "fatal flaw" I committed, I need to know about it!

Later in the day, I was delighted to see this fenzy:

Several nurseries who were taking down their trade booths gave their plants away and what a treat it was to see people graciously share and hand out plants to everyone and anyone who walked by. Even the parking attendant was offered a plant and came back to grab another for his garden or whatever; it was awesome!!